Delhi boils as rape victim's condition deteriorates

New Delhi: The condition of the 23-year-old gang rape victim deteriorated on Monday with doctors saying that she is "not as good" as on Sunday.

"Her condition has deteriorated... She is very serious, very critical and still not out of danger," one of the doctors attending to her at Safdarjung Hospital said.

Dr B D Athani, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, said on Sunday night, the victim developed tendency for internal bleeding and now she has reduced capacity for coagulation.

"Her bilirubin level has decreased to 5.5 and her lycolyte count is 6000. These parameters are after supplementation of platelet. She continues to remain on ventilator. She is not as good as yesterday and she is para sick. She is running fever of 102 to 104," he said.

This is because of sepsis and it is a matter of "serious concern", he said.

"The victim was subjected to psychiatric counselling today. Her parents were also given counselling. In that, it was found that the victim was relatively composed and that she neither showed anxiety or depression," Athani said.

The paramedical student, who was gang raped last Sunday night in a moving bus here, was also administered another four bottles of platelet-rich plasma.

Delhi turns into fortress, 2 ACPs suspended

Delhi on Monday turned into a fortress a day after violent protests rocked India Gate which was kept out of bounds for people but protests continued in the city which witnessed traffic mess hassling office-goers, students and others.

As the outrage continued over the December 16 gang rape of the 23-year-old student, police said chargesheet will be filed "within a week" in the case even as two assistant commissioners of police were suspended and explanations sought from two DCPs on why the crime could not be prevented.

In a fresh appeal for peace, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured that government will look into delay in response in the gangrape case as also all aspects concerning the security of women while asking people to desist from violence.

Cutting short his visit to the US, Delhi Lt governor tejinder Khanna returned to the capital and held discussions with senior police officials and women's groups to chalk out a plan for improving safety of women in the capital.

"We have suspended two ACPs Mohan Singh Dabas (traffic) and Yagram (PCR). I have instructed the police commissioner to seek explanation from DCPs Premnath (traffic) and Satbir Kataria (PCR) and will decide on further action after that," he told reporters.

Security personnel kept Rajpath, the stretch linking India Gate and Raisina Hill leading to Rashtrapati Bhavan, locked down with barricades and heavy deployment of personnel with riot-gear besides disallowing traffic on Rajpath and closing down nine Delhi Metro stations.

It was chaos on roads as police restricted vehicular movement around India Gate leading to huge traffic jams in central Delhi, including near ITO, Mathura Road and roads leading to the VIP areas.

At Jantar Mantar, a number of protesters gathered to demand speedy punishment for the criminals involved in the gang rape but no violence was reported.

Monday's protests appeared muted as police did not allow anybody to reach near India Gate or Raisina Hill, which saw pitched battles between security forces and protesters on Sunday leaving around 150 injured from both sides.

Victim's father appeals for calm, says daughter is a fighter

While the national capital erupted in anger and violence over the brutal gangrape of the Delhi girl, the victim's father has appealed for peace to everyone.

Speaking to some TV channels, the father of the girl said his daughter is a fighter and would survive the attack.

"My daughter is a fighter all her life. She is brave and she will survive the ordeal. Pray for her health," said the father of the girl, a 23-year-old medical student who was subjected to gruesome torture inside the bus on the night of Dec 16 when she was returning home after a film show with a male companion.

The girl's father also appealed for calm to the protesters who fought pitched battles for days with the Delhi Police with the protest turning violent on Sunday at the India Gate.BJP to meet President on Tuesday

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said it will meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday and ask him to direct the government to convene a special session of the Parliament to discuss the issue.

"Senior BJP leaders will meet the President on Tuesday on the gangrape issue.We are going to request him to ask the government to convene a special session of the Parliament," BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters on Monday.

Swaraj said she had suggested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a special session of the Parliament should be convened to discuss the matter.

She said she had also suggested Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to call an all-party meeting on the issue.

"We regret to say that both our suggestions were rejected," Swaraj said.